Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Sorry my blog posts have been MIA lately. This is going to be a really long post with lots and lots of pictures, writing, and probably some videos.

Brace yourselves.

Today is my first day back from a long weekend in (the best state in America) Oregon, aka, home. I flew back home on Thursday for my best friends wedding and got back to my school last night. It was a gorgeous wedding and she looked absolutely beautiful. I also got to do lots of other things while at home.

I'll tell you all about it now.

Last Wednesday, I went to stay with my friend, Stephanie, at her sister and brother in law's house because they live closer to the airport. We woke up at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m. on Thursday morning and she drove me to the airport. If you calculate it correctly, that was 12 a.m., west coast time- keep note of that time. I had 2 layovers on the way home and I was so anxious to get there that I only slept about an hour and a half altogether. By the time I landed, it was almost 4 in the afternoon, west coast time. And let me just say that flying with a cold, mainly nasal congestion, is the most terrible feeling ever. It felt like the center of my face was going to explode the entire flight home. (Sorry for that gruesome detail you probably could have lived without knowing.)

Side note- was it just me missing Oregon's greenery so much that I noticed for once or has there always been an insane amount of ivy covering the parking garage at the airport?

Boyfriend picked me up from the airport and my sweet mom made us chicken quesadillas. Can I just say that simple chicken quesadilla meal was the best one I think I've ever had?

I had to rush to take a quick shower then head to the place where the bridal shower/wedding party gathering was.

Here are some photos of the event.

Mr Groom and Ms Bride

We turned around and saw the bride sitting alone. Naturally, we made fun of her. That was her reaction.

Adorable little Journey was showing off her American Sign Language. Look at that facial expression!

By the time we got home, it was close to 12 a.m., that doesn't count the time before actually going to sleep. Again, if you calculate it correctly, I had been up for a full 24 hours, plus more, and minus the hour and a half I attempted to sleep on the plane. My body didn't like me very much.

Although, my lack of sleep didn't keep me from cuddling with boyfriend and the new pup, Paisley, that night when we got home.

The next day started with a cuddle time, great conversation and a walk to Starbucks with boyfriend. Those moments were very much needed and savored. Then I was blessed with a massage at the clinic and a rearranging of the neck by the chiropractor. I was, and still am, so thankful for that. Big sister came home that day too and we all hung out until I had to leave for the rehearsal dinner.

At one point in the day, I came outside to find boyfriend doing this:

He's such a kid some most of the time, and I love it.

Here are pictures from the rehearsal dinner. The wedding was at the Hawley's house. It was so beautiful!

The groomsmen and the groom

Is her dress not the cutest thing you've ever seen? I was tempted to covet that thing the whole night.

I totally started crying in line when they gave the bride away during the actual ceremony.

He told them this was the moment they would kiss, then it got really quiet. We all started laughing. We're all really mature, you know.

The Bride!

(She felt awkward because I made her wave to me. Hence, her awkward face.)

I found a baby and was so happy .

The last picture of us before she's a Mrs! The waterworks were barely being held back.

This was my bridesmaid romper. Yes, romper. That means those are pant legs.

Saturday was wedding day! Here are some pictures from that day ('some' being a relative term).

I arrived and walked in the house to this sight. She looked amazing! And her dress was absolutely stunning. She embroidered beads on the flowers herself.

Burlap! I love the look of burlap.

Goofing around before it all started.

She's a Mrs!!!

so smitten.

"I just got married, friend!"

I love this picture.

Pointing out the 'Something Blue' bead she embroidered onto her dress.

I loved this water idea. It looks old-fashioned and classy.

She is so stinkin cute.

Poppa and momma.

Sam and Luke wrote this song for the bride and groom.

Father-daughter dance

I think Claire is a different nationality than us.

Boyfriend and I were so happy to be able to dance a little before I had to go back to school.

(Once some people found out we could swing dance, a couple songs were requested just so those 'some people' could watch us. We didn't realize that until afterwards when we asked why no one else was on the dance floor during those dances. Slightly uncomfortable, but we still very much enjoyed the moment to dance.)

It was so fun watching my best friend finally get married! They had a 6 week engagement (Ah!), but it was absolutely gorgeous and put together perfectly. Every time I talked to someone in the family, I would ask if they were stressed. Clear until the day of the wedding, every single one of them said, "Eh, not really actually." I continue to question how they did it.

Sunday just might have been one of my favorite days ever.

I woke up and went down stairs to find boyfriend awake and the whole family sitting outside on the porch in their pajamas still. All of our voices were thick and groggy, showing that we had a great time the night before at the wedding reception. The weather that morning told me that I was going to absolutely love that day no matter what I did. It was very Fall-like. Crisp, cool, and slightly cloudy. My favorite.

Gorgeous flowers on our porch.

All 7 of us packed up in two different cars and drove to the 9 30 church service at Beaverton Foursquare. We had a fancy breakfast, but it actually turned out to be brunch, because boyfriend and I got distracted smelling candles and stuff at the store when we were supposed to get bread for the french toast.

Oops.

I was able to get a soy Pumpkin Spice Latte and boyfriend got a drip coffee with sugar while at the store. That could have helped the distraction... but boyfriend bought this great thing for me to use while in DC.

I used it today to take with me to class (despite the unnaturally warm muggy weather) and love it so much!

We all spent the day together (mostly taking a million pictures of Paisley) until the rest of the family went to Andy and Moriah Wolverton's wedding.

{Here's a couple pictures of the most spoiled dog in the world. She has no idea what kind of life she came into when my parents and little sister brought her home that day.}

Boyfriend and I got to spend the rest of the day together once they left. We walked to the store and he insisted I wear my new rain/winter jacket that he loves so much. We both wished we got a picture of it so I could post it on here...and so he could have a picture of me in my jacket. We were so content walking in that perfect Fall weather together. Nothing beats that.

I'm so excited to be in Oregon next Fall! I look forward to that season in Oregon more than any of the other seasons.

But wait, there's more good stuff.

We got French Onion Soup ingredients at the store so I could make it for the first time. It turned out pretty darn good. Even boyfriend said he liked it! (He has a hard time trying new food). I also added more homemade salsa to my sister, Claire's, homemade salsa.

She makes the most amazing food dishes.

Both foods were perfect for that Fall day.

Not to mention the Harvest Yankee Candle we had burning all day.

Clay's salsa... and the best tortilla chips known to mankind.

My salsa. I like the bigger chunks of veggies in there.

IT WAS SO GOOD PEOPLE.

This past weekend was such a fabulous weekend. I was exhausted and my body fought a cold the whole time, but it was a perfect revamp for me coming back to DC. I didn't realize how depleted I was. Nor did I realize how much I loved Oregon. I mean I knew that I loved the state with its greenness and freshness, and the fact that it has towns like Monmouth and Corvallis, and pretty much everything else about it, but man oh man, I never knew how deeply I loved that place.

Coming back to hot and humid DC didn't really help coming back to school. It doesn't feel like Fall here.

But as hard as it was to leave my beloved home sweet home, I know here in DC is where I'm supposed to be for this season in my life. And praise Jesus for that certainty, and also for the knowledge that He is here with me as my friend and comforter, and many more things, because I would be sunk without Him here by my side.